Final Fantasy IV VI: The Return of Golbez
by JenovaDragoon
Summary: Final Fantsy IV-VI crossover. First Fic, hopefully not cliche. Golbez returns to Earth two years after he left; seeking vengeance for what, noone knows. R/R
1. Prelude

Hello, this is my first story here, or at all for that matter. I must warn you forthwith that I am a slow writer, and I may not update frequently.  
  
I do not own Final Fantasy, the rights to any of its games, or any other merchandise. So don't sue. PLEEEEEAS!!  
  
Without further ado:  
  
  
  
Final Fantasy: The Return of Golbez  
  
  
  
  
  
Prelude  
  
  
  
Cecil Harvey stood just outside the room where he was to fight Zemus. He had a serious look on his face as he prepared for his final confrontation with Zemus. His wavy silver hair flowed down to his shoulders, while his cape flowed majestically in the wind behind him. Cecil was deep in thought. Recounting the events that had brought him here.  
  
**************************  
  
Cecil had once been the Captain of the Red Wings of Baron. He had picked up the dark sword and took on the distinction of a Dark Knight by the order of the king. When the King ordered the Crystal of Wind be taken from Mysidia, Cecil thought nothing of fulfilling the King's orders. On the return trip, however, the crew started questioning the motives of their King. At first Cecil defended his King, but slowly began to wonder the same things. Upon his return, Cecil questioned the King.  
  
Infuriated, the King removed Cecil from his command of the Red Wings and sent him to deliver a mysterious package to the village of Mist. When Cecil's friend, Kain Highwind, tried to speak out in his defense, the king ordered Kain to go along with Cecil. Upon entering the village of Mist, the package opened, and started a series of fires to break out in the village, destroying the village in an instant. This was the final straw, and Cecil vowed to put a stop to the king's evil plans.  
  
This started a chain of events that would later reveal that their king had been killed, and the throne of Baron was now in the control of Cagnazzo, Fiend of Water. Cagnazzo was taking orders from a mysterious figure by the name of Golbez, who sought to acquire the crystals of the Earth in order to open up the way to the moon, where a great power lies.  
  
Golbez was under the influence of a powerful Lunarian Zemus who bore a great hatred. Likewise Golbez was able to control the dragoon Kain. Kain and Cecil both came from Baron. They were friends for years, but now Golbez had manipulated Kain to be his personal errand boy.  
  
Cecil had resurrected the Lunar Whale from the bottom of the ocean with the help of the Elder of Mysidia. Cecil, along with Rosa, Rydia and Edge, flew to the moon and spoken with the Lunarian keeper, FuSoYa.  
  
FuSoYa was an aged man. He had long white hair and a long white beard. His eyes were the only part of his face easily visible. They had a serene glow within them, a glow of experience and wisdom. FuSoYa was a wizard, a strong one. FuSoYa informed Cecil that he was half Lunarian. His father, Kluya, was a Lunarian who went to Earth, and married a human woman. FuSoYa decided to help Cecil stop Golbez since what he sought was the Lunarian Zemus. Golbez, however, did not know what it was he was looking for. Zemus had planted visions of a source of power on the moon.  
  
Upon returning to the Earth, The giant of Babil was awakened by Golbez. Cecil and his allies entered the giant of Babil and defeated the fiends of elements, especially Cagnazzo who had personally killed the former king of Baron and impersonated him in order to acquire the crystals for his master. The group encountered Golbez at the core of the giant of Babil. It was then that FuSoYa broke Zemus's control over Golbez and it was discovered that Golbez was Cecil's Brother. FuSoYa and Golbez went ahead to destroy Zemus, leaving Cecil, Rose, Rydia and Edge to find their own way out. Just as it appeared hopeless, Kain appeared and showed them the way out. They went back to the moon on the Lunar Whale to destroy the upstart Lunarian, Zemus, before he could unleash hell on Earth. They made their way to the underground caves of the moon, which Zemus had made his layer.  
  
**************************  
  
Though Cecil was still a young man, his features showed subtleties of experience beyond his age. Cecil wore his white suit of armor with gold borders and designs. The white of the suit of armor had a translucent glow to it. This was the fabled crystal armor.  
  
Cecil was a fabled paladin, a holy warrior of light. Cecil was granted this distinction at the summit of Mount Ordeals, where Cecil drove out the remaining evil that existed in his heart due to his previous existence as a dark knight, a warrior of tremendous power derived from the dark arts. At the summit, Cecil traded in his dark sword for the Legend Sword, a holy blade. The Legend Sword was later changed into the Excalibur Sword, a truly powerful blade.  
  
Cecil now wielded Ragnorak, the Crystal Sword of tremendous power with an inner light. He had obtained Ragnorak in the caves of the moon leading to Zemus, where the White Dragon guarded it. The Ragnorak was far stronger than even the mighty Excalibur.  
  
Rosa now stood close beside Cecil. She was originally told to stay back on the Earth with Rydia, but had snuck back onboard the Lunar Whale. Rosa and Cecil truly loved one another. It was because of this love that Cecil objected to her following him to the moon. He believed this journey would be too dangerous, and the thought of his love dying pained Cecil to the point where he ordered her to stay behind.  
  
Now it was too late to turn back, and Cecil could not argue that she would be an invaluable asset to their cause. Rosa was trained in the ways of a white wizard. Her powerful healing spells had saved the group many times.  
  
Rosa's cape flew in the wind besides Cecil's. Rosa had blond hair and blue eyes, a beautiful face and a gorgeous body. Her white robes flow down her body, reaching the floor. A belt fastens the ensemble in place. Rosa would more than likely be concentrating on an assortment of magical defenses and curing spells, but carried a bow and a quiver full of arrows over her shoulder.  
  
Kain Highwind was a lifelong friend of Cecil and Rosa. The three of them had grown up together in Baron. Cecil was orphaned at a very young age and taken in by the young King.  
  
The dragoon Kain Highwind now accompanied Cecil once again. Kain was a longtime friend and ally of Cecil. They had worked together on occasion even before they had been sent to destroy the village of Mist. Kain wore a black suit of armor with blue scales and designs depicting a single dragon encompassing his entire body. The helmet was the head of the dragon. He carried a Holy Lance into this fight. Dragoons typically use spears and lances because they assist in their jump attacks. This particular lance, like Cecil's Ragnorak, was discovered in the caves leading to Zemus. The plague fiend had guarded the Holy Lance.  
  
The summoner Rydia had also rejoined Cecil's quest after sneaking back onboard the Lunar Whale. Cecil and Kain, at the command of the imposter King had delivered a package to the village of Mist that had destroyed the town upon arrival. To get to the village, Cecil and Kain had killed a creature of mist. It was later revealed that Rydia's mother summoned this creature. Cecil had inadvertently killed Rydia's mother, since a summoner dies if the creature dies. Cecil, feeling great guilt for his actions decided to save Rydia, and take her with him. After Cecil saved her from a group of Baron's troops, who had come to finish the job that Cecil did not, Rydia decided to accompany Cecil.  
  
Rydia was young when the village was destroyed, but after spending time in the land of summoned monsters had grown into a young woman. Since time flows faster in the land of summoned monsters, Rydia had closed the gap between her age, and the age of the other adventurers. She had green hair and green eyes. Rydia had a small frame, but could pack quite a powerful punch with her strong black magic and summoning powers. There was a whip wound and tied to Rydia's belt, but it was rarely used, as her true usefulness stemmed from her magical prowess.  
  
Edge Geraldine, the Prince of Eblan, too had put his personal life aside in order to aid Cecil on his quest. Eblan castle is located south of the Tower of Babil, but the people of Eblan had abandoned their castle in order to take refuge in the mountains at the base of the tower. Rubicant, the fiend of fire, had been bombarding the people of Eblan to the point where they no longer felt safe in their own homes.  
  
Edge, trained in the ways of the ninja, now sought justice for the torturing of his people. Edge also sought revenge for the unspeakable actions of Rubicant, who changed his parents, the King and Queen of Eblan, into fiends. Edge was now the rightful King of Eblan, but put his duties to his people aside in order to ensure the safety of all those living on the Earth.  
  
Edge's bluish gray hair was pulled behind his head into a ponytail. He donned a maroon samurai outfit with a collar that rose to the tip of his nose. The collar was always closed functioning almost as a mask. Two samurai swords were fastened to his belt. These blades were the Masamune and the Murasame blades. Like Cecil and Kain, Edge had found these legendary blades in the caves leading to the very spot they now stood, right in front of the transporter that led to the inner sanctum of Zemus.  
  
Cecil stepped onto the transporter and warped into Zemus's central location. His allies materialized behind him after he stepped off the transporter. In front of Cecil there was a staircase that led up to a wider clearing on the rigid floor. From the clearing, there were three staircases leading up to the main floor in this cavern a few feet apart from one another. As Cecil progressed, he saw Golbez and FuSoYa in the midst of a great battle against Zemus.  
  
Golbez continued the attack by casting FIRE3 on Zemus. The spell appeared to have little affect on the powerful Lunarian.  
  
FuSoYa cast the SLOW spell next, but with very little effect. Zemus, meanwhile, stood there and laughed off their pitiful attempts to thwart his evil intentions.  
  
Golbez and FuSoYa wasted little time, and as soon as their first spells were off, began the incantation for their next spells. Golbez launched an ICE3, while FuSoYa cast HOLD on Zemus. Again, Zemus appeared bored at this pitiful attempt at an attack.  
  
'I think I'll give them another two spells each before I completely eradicate them both,' Zemus thought to himself.  
  
Golbez was the next to attack. He blasted Zemus with BOLT3. FuSoYa finally attacked Zemus with the HOLY spell. Again Zemus was unimpressed.  
  
'Last try guys, better make it count, because you are dead after this,' came Zemus's personal thoughts riddled with sarcasm. 'No one can destroy me,' he foolishly believed.  
  
"Cast METEO now," FuSoYa called over to Golbez, whom nodded in understanding. Both Golbez and FuSoYa started chanting the same spell in perfect harmony. Syllable for syllable, the same sound left both of the casters' mouths at the same time.  
  
Zemus, meanwhile, was sparked with interest and concern. 'Can they actually pull that off?' Zemus wondered. 'Perhaps I should not be taking these two so lightly.'  
  
"Die trying," Zemus wailed in protest, but by this time it was too late.  
  
"W. METEO," yelled FuSoYa and Golbez as a shower of meteorites fell from the sky and smoldered Zemus in their wake.  
  
Zemus sustained heavy damage from that final spell, and was on his last leg. "The body dies. but the spirit lives on," were the last words Zemus uttered as he fell face first on the ground, dead.  
  
A feeling of relief filled Golbez and FuSoYa as the dead body of Zemus hit the ground.  
  
"It is done," Golbez stated, feeling a sense of remorse for killing a fellow Lunarian.  
  
"What a waste. A man of such power to be consumed with Evil," FuSoYa remarked, as he openly pitied the fallen Lunarian.  
  
"Right on!" the two adventurers heard from behind them in what sounded like Edge's voice. They turned around to see Cecil and his companions come up and meet them.  
  
"We meet again," FuSoYa observed.  
  
"Shucks! You guys beat me to it," Edge bellowed in annoyance. The fellow warriors in the room paid him no heed. Tension mounted as Cecil came face to face with the man he had just found out was his brother, Golbez.  
  
"Cecil." Golbez began, but any further words were stifled by uncertainty and lack of comfort.  
  
Cecil was likewise tongue-tied.  
  
"Cecil." Rosa spoke as she saw Cecil uncharacteristically quiet. She was worried. All the other people in the room were so interested in what was going on between Cecil and Golbez that they failed to observe another presence as Zemus's body dissolved and another form emerged.  
  
"I am the incarnation of Zemus's enmity. Zeromus, the absolute darkness, the epitome of hate," Zeromus bellowed as the adventurers were made aware of his presence. Before the heroes were able to formulate an attack, Zeromus unleashed his Big Bang attack. Gusts of G-Force winds blew at the heroes while bolts of lightning barbecued them.  
  
After the Big Bang attack only Golbez and FuSoYa were still standing.  
  
"Death only increased Zemus's hatred," FuSoYa said to Golbez as mush as he did to himself.  
  
"Zemus. of should I say Zeromus. I shall destroy you once and for all!" Golbez declared with great certainty at the bellowing banshee they saw before them.  
  
They both stepped up to Zeromus in their battle stances.  
  
"Your hatred ends with us!" FuSoYa promised Zeromus.  
  
Golbez attacked Zeromus with a powerful METEO spell. The spell only seemed to make Zeromus more powerful, as the meteorites were absorbed into his body where they struck him.  
  
FuSoYa, already in the throes of casting a METEO spell himself, was unable to stop his train of thought and hit Zeromus with the spell. Again Zeromus seemed to eat the power from the spell.  
  
"METEO is useless!" FuSoYa observed, turning to Golbez "Use the crystal."  
  
Golbez held up the crystal in his hand and it manifested its hidden powers. A wave a power assaulted Zeromus, but Zeromus was able to withstand its power.  
  
"The crystal. It is eclipsed in the hands of darkness. It is no use," Zeromus bellowed as he laughed at their misfortune. Zemus then cast his own METEO spell. A shower of meteorites rained down from the sky and inflicted great amounts of damage on Golbez and FuSoYa. Zeromus was the last man left standing.  
  
"Agony. Death. The hatred to rage on until all die." Zeromus shouted in apparent victory.  
  
**************************  
  
Meanwhile back on Earth, friends of Cecil and his followers have gathered to wish them well in the town of Mysidia. The elder was in the room looking into the scrying pool looking on at their trouble.  
  
"Elder!" spoke Porom, one of the two twin wizards that stood beside him.  
  
"We got to do something!" said Palom, finishing his twin sister's thought.  
  
The elder nodded and walked to the center of the room.  
  
"It is time," The Elder began. "We must pray for them. We must pray for the world." The Elder turned back to the scrying pool and looked at the twins. "Palom, Porom we shall send everybody's prayers to Cecil.  
  
The twins walked to either side of the Elder and began to concentrate their powers for the sending at hand. After a long moment of silent prayer for the adventurers, the Elder spoke once again finishing the ritual of sending.  
  
"Moon of the heavens, receive our prayers."  
  
**************************  
  
Cecil rose to his knees from the ground with strength that he did not know he possessed. It felt as though some intangible force was pushing him on. Cecil could not explain where this energy was coming from, but he was determined to make the best of it. Cecil rose to his feet and stepped toward Zeromus, who was too distracted gloating over his power.  
  
Golbez and FuSoYa were on the ground. FuSoYa was unconscious, while Golbez was hanging on by a thread.  
  
"Brother." Cecil spoke in a barely audible tone. He walked over to his brother and knelt down by his side. At this moment Cecil did not care that Golbez had tried to kill him. All Cecil saw was his only brother in bad shape.  
  
Golbez looked up at Cecil with all the power he could muster. "Cecil. Here. Use this." Golbez handed the Crystal he had attempted to use on Zeromus earlier.  
  
By this time Zeromus had caught onto the development going on underneath his nose. As he approached, Cecil stood up and matched Zeromus's motion. They stood before each other.  
  
"Zeromus. For all life. and for those who gave their lives." Cecil was silent for a second as he remembered all those who had been killed because of Zeromus's actions. "WE WILL NOT LOSE!" Cecil finished almost in a scream of defiance.  
  
At that moment the prayers of their friends on Earth reached them on the moon. Cecil heard the voices of his dearest friends in his head rooting him on. As he looked behind, he noticed his friends had also arisen, and appeared to be revitalized. At that moment, Cecil felt his own body heal and he was filled with a sense of purpose and a feeling of pure energy like he had never felt before.  
  
The last voice Cecil heard in his head was Golbez. He was speaking to Cecil directly, unlike the others who were wishing the group well. "Brother. With your holy power trust the crystal." At that moment, Golbez spoke from the floor with energy that he should not have had. "Zeromus! Show yourself!"  
  
Cecil stood next to his brother's fallen body and held up the crystal. Again the power of the Crystal assaulted Zeromus, but this time Zeromus could not withstand the power and he was weakened dramatically. He was weakened so much that he could no longer keep up the guise of the Banshee, and he was forced to reveal his true form.  
  
Kain immediately jumped into the air preparing to hit Zeromus with a jump attack. Meanwhile Rosa began the incantations for her CURE4 spell. They were all at full energy, but she knew that would not last long. It was a good thing that she did because at that moment Zeromus unleashed his Big Bang attack. It took a great deal of energy from the group (except from Kain, who was too high in the air to be affected). Rydia and Edge were damaged the most, as they were not built as well as Cecil and Rosa.  
  
Rosa finished casting her spell, and a wave of energy swirled around the group as they were reenergized. As soon as the spell had finished its course, Rosa was in the throes of casting CURE4 again. She had the powerful Holy spell in her repertoire, but doubted the opportunity to cast it would present itself.  
  
Kain then came down hard on Zeromus. It damaged Zeromus a good deal but it looked as though it would take a lot more than that to fell this beast. As soon as Kain had regained his senses, he once again jumped into the air for another Jump attack.  
  
Edge reached into his bag and began hurling Shurikens and Fumas, special ninja stars, at Zeromus. These ninja stars seemed to be affecting Zeromus, though it would take a lot more than he possessed to destroy this beast. Fortunately, he was not the only one fighting.  
  
Rydia summoned Bahamut, the king of dragons, to hit Zeromus with its Mega Fire attack. She could cast the spell METEO, which was more powerful than Bahamut, but METEO took too long to cast.  
  
Cecil drew his Ragnorak blade and attacked Zeromus head on. The blade cut a deep wound in Zeromus where the blade struck, but it was nowhere near enough to kill him.  
  
Zeromus was not taking all of this damage without striking back. Zeromus attacked the adventurers with his Big Bang attack for the most part, with a few other minor spells in between, but after every Big Bang, Rosa would cast CURE4 and undo the damage he had caused.  
  
The fight continued in this manner for several minutes, until Zeromus was finally destroyed. Zeromus's parting words were "I will not. perish. So long as evil. dwells in the hearts. of mankind." With a great scream of agony, Zeromus fell to the ground destroyed, and quite dead.  
  
Cecil stood there looking at Zeromus, dead at his feet.  
  
'Well done," FuSoYa congratulated the five adventurers in their valiant defeat of Zeromus. "Your powers have far exceeded my expectations. Indeed, your race has come far - - Transcended ours, perhaps," He finished while walking toward the group, now standing beside Cecil over the body of Zeromus.  
  
"Yeah, we rule!" Edge busted out.  
  
Kain, on the other hand, was not ready to celebrate just yet. "Zeromus's last words. What do you think.?"  
  
"As long as evil dwells in the hearts." Rosa quoted the now deceased Lunarian while hanging onto Cecil's Shoulder.  
  
FuSoYa, seeing that everyone was unnerved by Zeromus's dying words, began to speak. "In every heart, there resides good and evil." Seeing that he now had their attention, he continued. "Just as the Crystals of light and dark exist, just as the overworld and the underworld together form the Earth. Against evil will, good will arises; thus did you overcome Zemus," FuSoYa concluded, apparently calming their fears.  
  
"Ahh, it was nothin'. I was born a hero," Edge boasted with great volume.  
  
"Could you be more arrogant!? I'm surprised Zemus didn't control you," Rydia shot at Edge who had perhaps boasted one too many times.  
  
"Hey, never me," Edge insisted. "I'm all righteousness."  
  
FuSoYa, meanwhile, focused his attentions on Cecil once again.  
  
"I must go now and sleep along with my people. And you?" FuSoYa questioned.  
  
"WE are going home," Cecil responded looking to Rosa, who smiled catching onto what he meant.  
  
"Our friends are waiting," Rosa explained as she tore her eyes away from Cecil for a moment to look up to FuSoYa with a huge smile plastered across her face.  
  
"Ah, yes. You are truly blessed with fine companions. I look forward to our next meeting," FuSoYa said as he began to walk away.  
  
"I wish to accompany you," Golbez suddenly said, walking toward FuSoYa.  
  
"You?" FuSoYa nearly shouted in true surprise.  
  
"I cannot go back - - not after what I've done. And I long to know more about the Lunarians, my father's people," Golbez explained.  
  
"Ah, yes - - you are half Lunarian," FuSoYa said with sudden recollection. "A long sleep awaits us, mind you," FuSoYa reminded Golbez.  
  
"I have no qualms," Golbez assured the elderly Lunarian.  
  
"You called me 'brother,'" Golbez said, turning his attentions toward Cecil.  
  
Cecil stood there silently with mixed emotions. He wished to embrace Golbez as his brother, but was filed with much hesitation due to the devastation wrought at his hands.  
  
"I have caused you much pain.I cannot expect your forgiveness," Golbez said, ensuring Cecil that nothing was expected from him.  
  
"Fare you well. We shall pray for peace on Earth," FuSoYa announced as their final farewell. "Come," he guided Golbez onward.  
  
"Yes," Golbez said turning to follow FuSoYa.  
  
"Cecil," Rosa spoke in a surprised questioning tone.  
  
"So that's it?" Kain asked Cecil.  
  
"He's your brother!" Rydia added.  
  
It was obvious to Cecil that they felt he should forgive his brother, but there was something deep inside that it seemed would not allow him to do so.  
  
"Farewell," Golbez offered one final time.  
  
"Cecil!" Edge exclaimed as Cecil almost let his brother walk away without saying goodbye.  
  
Cecil stood silent for a second more. In that second Golbez began to walk off, assuming that there would be no use in pushing further for his brother's acceptance.  
  
"Goodbye.Brother," Cecil finally worked up the courage to say. It was in a sorrowful tone, almost as if he was saying goodbye to a deceased loved one.  
  
It was Golbez's turn to stay quiet, as his brother's farewell caught him by surprise.  
  
"Thank you, Cecil," Golbez finally acknowledged his brother's forgiveness.  
  
Golbez then followed FuSoYa to the sleeping chambers.  
  
**************************  
  
Rydia, Edge, Kain, Cecil and Rosa returned to Earth on the Lunar Whale. They returned to Mysidia to see that the Lunar Whale returned to the bottom of the ocean and went their separate ways.  
  
Cecil and Rosa returned to Baron, where they were celebrated as the heroes of the world. The people of Baron decided to make Cecil their king. Cecil was a little reluctant to accept, but decided that it was the best thing for Baron. Cecil did not truly want this position of power. He was a warrior by nature and lived for the thrill of battle.  
  
Kain went deep into Mt. Ordeals seeking solitude. Kain felt as though his weakness had put everyone in more danger than was needed. Furthermore, Kain felt betrayed. Kain was jealous of Cecil and Rosa's happiness. Kain had the love of Rosa when they were younger. However when Kain went away to train in the ways of the Dragoon, their love began to fade and the love between Cecil and Rosa was able to bloom. Kain just could not face them now. His two best friends had gone behind his back, and were now going to be wed. It made him nauseous.  
  
Not long after everything returned to normal, all of the friends Cecil had made in his adventures were invited to come to Baron to witness his official coronation ceremony.  
  
At his coronation ceremony, which Kain had not attended, Cecil was wed to Rosa. They had been in love since they were younger and their acts of heroism had brought them even closer. Cecil and Rosa were now inseparable, however their love had cost them a great friend in Kain.  
  
During the adventure Edge and Rydia had developed a special relationship with one another. Anyone could see that it was love, but they would have denied it. After they returned to Earth, they went their separate ways at first. Edge returned to the people of Eblan, who under his leadership returned from the cave at the base of the Tower of Babil to their castle further south of the tower. Rydia returned to the Land of Summoned Monsters, where Leviathan welcomed her warmly.  
  
After they went their separate ways, they both began to feel an emptiness they just could not explain in their hearts. At the coronation, they were brought back together and realized that there was more to their love. Edge returned to Eblan and soon made Rydia his Queen.  
  
As king and queen of Baron, the most powerful country in the world, Cecil and Rosa planned on dedicating Baron's forces to fighting for peace. Using the military forces of Baron to mediate between warring nations, but that appeared to be futile, since all the powerful nations were now being run by former allies. Yang was made King of Fabul, where he was the most powerful fighter in a nation that respected power above all else. Edward was the rightful King of Damcyan, and began the processes of rebuilding the destroyed castle upon his return. The only towns that were not ruled by an ally were small towns that had no desire to rise to power.  
  
Six months after Cecil's coronation, the world was once again in peril. A large piece of land from the western continents arose from the Earth, and was floating in the sky. The "Floating Continent" as it was dubbed was the center of much concern. Before Cecil could mount any initiative, another group of adventurers known only as "The Returners" stepped in and took matters into their own hands. The Returners were unable to put a stop to the terror. An insane man by the name of Kefka realigned the three goddess- statues of the Western continents, completely reshaped the world.  
  
Though The Returners eventually put an end to Kefka's reign of terror, it had cost the world a great deal. The world was in ruins, and could not be returned to the way it once was. The once illustrious forests were burnt to ashes. The Plains had dried up into deserts, and the mountain ranges had shifted, so there were many valleys and cliffs. Traveling through the mountains had become even more dangerous. 


	2. Chapter 1 Of Royalty

**Final Fantasy: The Return of Goldbez**

**By JenovaDragoon**

  
  


**Chapter I (Of Royalty)**

Two years after the reshaping of the world, Cecil sat on the throne of Baron. It was early in the morning, so the throne room was quite. The throne room was usually noisy, bustling with life. Many individuals came to speak with the king on many matters, usually concerning the punishment of criminals captured by the Red Wings or land ownership disputes. These were the typical matters of the King of Baron.

Cecil felt like a prisoner in his own castle. He enjoyed being the King of Baron and guiding his people into prosperity, but there was a part deep inside of him that hungered for battle. Cecil had been trained as a warrior and found it hard to satisfy his warrior's nature cooped up in the castle all day. Unfortunately that was the way of a king, and these were peaceful times; the biggest problem lately has been keeping the overwhelming number of imps out of the city, not exactly an earth-shattering task. 

Edgar, the King of Figaro, was on his way to Baron, on his way to see him. There were many rumors going around Baron about King Edgar's coming, ranging from his accepting the throne of Baron from Cecil, who showed outward appearances of not wanting to be king, all the way to his declaring war on Baron. Cecil had no idea why he was coming, nor did he have any reason to fear their meeting. He had no intention of handing over the throne, nor was he afraid to go to war. Baron's forces were the strongest in all the lands. Baron's Red Wings and Dragoon Warriors were a strong force that could stand up to anything Figaro could throw at it. 

Cecil, not wanting to appear a pushover, was preparing to meet King Edgar on open ground, a showing of respect among royalty. To meet Royalty from another nation on neutral territory shows the other that you are not intimidated. Furthermore, Cecil saw this as an opportunity to get out of the castle. 

Cecil was wearing a magnificent suit of armor. The Crystal Armor, which Cecil had worn in his fight against Zeromus, was made entirely out of a very powerful, and sturdy crystal found on the Lunarian moon. Cecil had a ceremonial sword befitting a king at his side. 

The sheath was made of the finest leather with gold trimmings and designs near the mouth of the sheath, where the hilt of the sword emerged. The hilt was made of pure gold with sapphires and rubies in an intricate design. Cecil drew his majestic blade and marveled in its beauty. The blade was made of pure silver that shone brilliantly in the midday sun. On the blade itself was etched the ancient poem that foretold his coming: 

"One born from a dragon  
bearing darkness and light  
shall rise to the heavens  
over the still land  
  
Bathing the moon in eternal  
light, he brings a promise to  
Mother Earth with a bounty  
and mercy"

He carried the ceremonial sword around the castle as a testament to his legacy. It was a gift from the elder of Mysidia at his coronation.

Should the need for fighting arise, Cecil was prepared. His Ragnorak sword and Excalibur sword were behind his thrown. Though The Ragnorak was more powerful, Cecil had found that against undead creatures the Excalibur's holy essence could be a great advantage. 

When Cecil really needed to fight, the Ragnorak sword or the Excalibur sword, which Cecil converted from the Legend sword he received on Mount Ordeals, would make mince meat out of any foe. Everyone knows that if Cecil draws a sword against you, you have two choices, run or die, and quite often the choice to run is stolen from you before you have the chance to decide. 

Cecil looked over to the other throne in the room. It was at his left hand side, but there seemed to be something (of someone) missing. 

"Why does it take her so long to get ready?" Cecil asked himself out loud. 

Rosa was in her room at that moment getting ready to escort Cecil in his meeting with King Edgar, as would Kain, whom Cecil had chosen to be his personal guard, as if he really needed one, and captain of the Red Wings after he returned to Baron. Kain had left Baron after the fall of Zeromus. 

"Sire, the advanced scouts report that King Edgar's Airship has landed on the southern shores. Edgar approaches the castle via chocobo carriage," Reported Kain as he entered the throne room. 

The dragoon Kain was wearing the same armor he wore the day they destroyed Zeromus, except that his helmet had been removed from his head, and his golden locks fell around his neck. 

"Excellent Kain, prepare three riding chocobos. We shall ride out and meet them on neutral ground as soon as Queen Rosa is ready," Cecil replied. 

"Pardon me, your highness, but wouldn't it be safer if we just waited for him to arrive here?" Kain interjected. 

"It would be easier, but inappropriate, Kain. Common courtesy among royalty says that the first meeting between two figureheads should be on neutral ground," Cecil informed Kain. 

"Alright, but would it not be better to take an airship?" Kain questioned. 

Kain, a proud warrior, was always trying to push the use of the Red Wings since he had gained command of them. He instituted a new mandate that a dragoon must be present on all Red Wing vessels departing from Baron. This did not set in well with the Red Wings at first, but soon enough they came to realize that having a dragoon onboard might not be such a bad thing. 

"No, Kain, I know you take great pride in the Red Wings, as did I when I was captain, but in meeting another member of royalty, it is more appropriate to not show your nation's true power, which is why he travels by chocobo carriage," Cecil explained to Kain. 

"Yes, your majesty, I shall make the appropriate arrangements," Kain replied. He bowed to the King and left the throne room. 

Kain was a brilliant tactician and military leader, but he lacked any common sense when regarding matters of royalty, or of many other things for that matter. 

Cecil stood up and retrieved the Ragnorak and Excalibur swords and secured them to his belt. He then proceeded to follow Kain out of the throne room. 

Outside the throne room there were two side passages. One passage opened up to the west. It leads around to the western tower and the underground caverns that lead to the town of Baron. The other passage opened to the east. That passage leads to the Eastern tower, where the king's bedroom was. Cecil had once lived in room at the top of the western tower, but had moved into the Eastern tower with Rosa after they had been wed. 

Cecil walked down the passage after Kain. As he approached the two side corridors, Cecil saw Rosa Emerge from the eastern passage. Cecil walked over to Rosa and greeted her. 

"Rosa! You look absolutely fabulous this morning," Cecil said in sheer amazement. No matter how many times Cecil saw Rosa, he was totally enthralled by her beauty. 

"Thank you, Cecil," Rosa replied with a slight giggle, beaming from the complement. 

She slowly walked over to Cecil and embraced him warmly. 

Rosa wore long white pants that hugged her legs; similar to the ones she wore during their adventure. Above her waist she wore a beautiful blouse. She had thrown this ensemble together rather hastily. She wanted to give the impression of royalty by wearing long intricate gowns, but since they would be riding on chocobos, she did not want the gown to get in the way. Still, Rosa made the outfit seem natural. Rosa let her hair hang loose since she loved the feel of her hair blowing in the wind. 

Rosa, like Cecil, loved adventure and felt like a prisoner to her crown. She was excited about meeting the King of Figaro. It gave her the rare chance to leave the castle, go riding and be alone with her Cecil all at the same time. The thought of meeting King Edgar, whom she had heard was a very sweet playboy, was almost too good to be true. 

"You will be happy to know that Kain will be our only escort today," Cecil said breaking their embrace with a smile on his face. He knew that Rosa was not thrilled about all the attention and guards that went along with being the queen. 

Rosa returned his smile and then proceeded out to where the chocobo stables were hand in hand with Cecil. 

They were always looking to find as much time to spend with each other as possible. Aside from being King and Queen of arguably the greatest country in the world they were also two young adults hopelessly in love. They are never in any real need of an escort. Cecil and Rosa could defeat a small army of ogres if the need arose without any help. Certain occasions allowed the king to choose the extent of his own escort. In these cases they always selected Kain to be their only escort. Kain understood that they needed their space and usually ran off ahead to scout the area, leaving the two alone. This gave Cecil and Rosa a rare chance to be alone. 

Kain was at the exit of Baron Castle, waiting for Cecil and Rosa. As he saw them coming from down the hall he instructed the guard on duty to lower the drawbridge. He then went toward the royal couple to greet them. He glanced at Rosa quickly, and then took another look at Rosa. It was obvious that he thought she was beautiful, but he made no reference to it. 

"Sire, three chocobos have been prepared for our departure. King Edgar approaches from the south..." Kain started to inform Cecil, who appeared uninterested in the details of their course. 

Cecil was not paying any attention to Kain at that moment; he was too busy going over the coming meeting in his mind. 'What is King Edgar coming for anyway?' Cecil was inevitably wondering. 

"Cecil, are you even listening to me?" Kain eventually asked, seeing that Cecil was in his own little world. Rosa turned her head as Kain said this. 

"Hey, that's MY line" Rydia shot at Kain, who ignored the comment. 

"Sorry, Kain, I was just thinking about this meeting," Cecil began. 

"Uh Oh!" Rosa thought out loud, making a joke of Cecil. 

Cecil turned to Rosa and tried to give her a look that told her that wasn't funny, but couldn't help it as a smirk crept onto his face. All three smiled, realizing they had too long been playing their roles in Baron, and not being themselves. 

They had been friends a long time ago, but since Kain returned everything between them had been different. Their relationship seemed somehow strained. Furthermore, Kain seemed to distance himself more every day. 

The sight of the two of them always so cold and formal made Rosa feel very uncomfortable. 

Turning to Kain, Cecil finally spoke again. "I do not care what course we will be taking today, just lead the way. Rosa and I shall not be TOO far behind," Cecil said, enjoying a moment with Rosa. 

They then walked toward the now lowered drawbridge. As they reached the drawbridge their elated smiles faded somewhat. They were reminded as the drawbridge lowered of the devastation wrought on Baron two years ago. The whole world was reshaped and a huge 30-foot gorge was formed between Baron Castle and the city of Baron. The castle was now 20 feet higher than the town as well. The two rarely had reason to leave the castle, since the guards were so protective of their King and Queen. Rosa often found herself riding a chocobo around the castle (which was always good for a laugh). The drawbridge was lowered onto a ten-foot tall platform constructed on the other side of the gorge, allowing for a level crossing. 

The canyon served as excellent protection from invaders, but was a painful reminder of the worldwide destruction two years prior. 

The three walked across the drawbridge and walked to the chocobo stables at the south of Baron for departure. The stables were set up with several pens lined up in rows. Each stable was home to one chocobo. Outside the stables there were three of the finest chocobos waiting for Cecil, Rosa and Kain. They wore a light suit of armor that hung from the body under the saddle. A harness had been set on their heads with a leather rope coming around the head for the rider to hold onto, allowing the rider for easier control. Finally, there was a banner hanging under each of their necks. It was the royal crest of Baron. 

Cecil, Rosa and Kain mounted their chocobos and began to trot southward. Off in he distance there were signs of life returning to the Earth. The once barren wasteland that remained after that day two years ago was now starting to beam with new life. A hint of green could be seen over the horizon, a small forest had remained, and was beginning to grow larger on the southern edges of their view. 

"I believe that we should wait for our guests in the forest to the south," Cecil declared. 

"That is a bit further than we were planning to go," Kain announced to Cecil who didn't seem to care. 

"I know, but we could use to be out of the castle for a bit longer. Besides, I think that the forest is the ideal place to meet," Cecil replied. 

Without another word, he kicked his chocobo in the behind and rode off toward the forest. Rosa followed right behind Cecil, but Kain held back. He was deep in thought, thinking about the past, about the events that lead to where they were now. Kain shook the thoughts out of his head and rode after the royal couple. There would be plenty of time later for him to fight off his inner demons. 

******************************

Rydia stood on a high cliff facing to the south of the Tower of Babil, or at least what was left of it. The tower once rose high into the sky. It was so high that you could not see the top of it from the ground. The tower had stood there for generations, but now it was gone. The great disaster two years ago shook the tower to the ground. The tower now lay in ruins. 

The Tower of Babil had been an important element in their quest against Goldbez. The tower served as Goldbez' headquarters during the time he was attempting to gather The Crystals. Rydia found herself returning here often, reminiscing of the days of old, of her adventures with Kain, Cecil and Rosa. She had not seen Cecil or Rosa since they had attended her wedding, to which Kain failed to show. She came with a few warriors of Eblan protecting her at the request her husband Edge, the king of Eblan. 

Rydia needed a few moments alone, so she had slipped off while no one was looking. That had been a while ago, and they were just now realizing that she was gone. The warriors were in a clearing just past the foothills to the south of the mountains. She could see them in the distance below, desperately searching for her. She knew that they were not too worried about her. She may have been alone, but she far from helpless. She knew that they were worried about Edge's actions if he ever found out that they had allowed her to slip off. 

Rydia served Cecil well as a Black Wizard and Summoner on their quest. However, since the disaster occurred, few of her summonses answered her call. Fortunately there has not been major need for them as of late. Rydia's spells were more than enough to ward off the beasts in the area. Though these beasts were far stronger than the imps that plagued Baron, there were typically less of them to deal with at a time. 

Seeing her guards scramble around to locate her, Rydia knew her time alone was growing short. She turned around to view the ruins that were once the Tower of Babil one last time before she was discovered. The tower originated from somewhere in the underworld, and it rose into the heavens through a hole in the ground that was surrounded on all sides by mountains. The tower appeared to be intact underground, and there seemed to be a few levels above ground, where the structure apparently gave way, though it was now without a proper roof. Around the remains of the tower appeared scattered tower fragments that had fallen off as the tower fell. The rest of the tower had fallen to the West, where the highest floors had fallen into the ocean depths and the floors closer to where the tower broke apart were still in the mountains. 

While she was looking at the scene before her, a glare hit Rydia's eye as it reflected off the water. The sun had shifted in the sky more than she had believed. It was later than she realized, and she knew it was time to return. 

Rydia slowly climbed down from her cliff and began to walk back to the clearing where she had left her followers. She walked through a tight ravine, where two high rock walls protected her from wandering monsters. As she walked along the ravine, Rydia noticed that it was beginning to widen, and that the walls were slowly becoming lower. As she walked along the ravine, Rydia noticed that there were small bushes along the sides of the ravine. She thought she heard something somewhere behind her a while back, but when she turned around, there was nothing. 

The cliffs were about 12 feet high now, and about 10 feet apart. The campsite was still out of sight, but she figured she could make it back in 5 minutes or so. She continued on, when she thought she heard a sound behind her, she again turned around and saw nothing. Rydia turned around and continued walking. 

She had not taken two steps, when she heard a loud growl from above her. She looked up to see a young flamedog jumping down on her from above. She attempted to dive out of the way, but she was too late and the flamedog landed on her back. The flamedog pressed its front claws into Rydia's shoulders and began to bite on her left shoulder, eliciting a loud scream of pain from her. 

She slowly pressed off of the ground and planted her knees. She was about to make a move when a boomerang came out of nowhere and hit the flame dog in the head; causing it to loose it's focus. While it was unfocused, Rydia shifted her weight to one side and threw the flamedog off of her. 

As she got to her feet, she saw a man step up and pick up the boomerang that had hit the flamedog in the head. The man had a very pretty boy look to him. His short brown hair was pulled back, and fastened with a navy blue bandana. He wore a white short-sleeved shirt with a blue leather vest over it. He wore blue leather pants and leather gloves. Around his belt was one sword sheathed on his left side, and several boomerangs on the right side of his belt. He stood up and fastened the boomerang to his belt and looked to Rydia. 

"Are you alright," The man asked, stepping closer. 

"Yes, thank you," Rydia answered. 

As the man was about to introduce himself, the flamedog struggled to his feet. The man drew his sword and began to step forward, the flamedog leaped at the man. The man lunged the sword forward and up, impaling the flamedog. The flamedog was immediately extinguished, as its life was likewise extinguished. The mysterious man lowered his sword to the ground and pushed the dead carcass off of his sword with his boot. He took out a cloth from his side pack and wiped the sword clean before replacing it in its sheath. 

The mystery man walked back toward Rydia and rustled around in his pocket for something. Rydia stood there a little startled. This man had just helped her out, not that she really needed it. She was about to get the better of the monster when he attacked. Now this man was pulling something out of his pouch, and Rydia couldn't be sure of his intentions. She was, after all, a Queen and a viable target for someone looking for a ransom and this man was clearly some sort of a thief. As the man pulled a vial out of his pouch, a shiver ran up her spine. The man then held out the vial in his open hand, offering it to her. She eyed the man closely and made no move. 

"Here," the man said as he lifted his hand up further. 

"No thank you," Rydia said with fear in her voice. 

"There is no need for you to be afraid anymore," the man began, "the beast is dead and I am here to protect you" 

Rydia's eyes shot open. 'The nerve of this man, does he know who he is talking to?' 

"I thank you for your help there, but I assure you it was not necessary. I was about to make my move," Rydia explained as she closed the man's hand and push it away. 

"Yeah right!" the man said, almost mocking her "The beast had you pinned to the ground, and would have killed you any second if I had not been here." 

Rydia began laughing aloud. The gall of this man was uncanny. He truly believed he had saved her life, and that she would have died without his help. 

"Look, you must be used to finding a damsel in distress on your travels, but I assure you that I am neither a damsel, nor was I in distress. However, your help was appreciated nonetheless. I am Queen Rydia of Eblan, and I am quite proficient in the ways of battle," she assured the man. "Now that I have introduced myself, I believe I deserve the same courtesy thief." 

"The name is 'Bandit', and I am not a thief," he began "I AM A TREASURE HUNTER." 

"A treasure hunter huh?" Rydia said somewhat in disbelief. 

"*Sigh* Why is everyone always like that," 'Bandit' began to ask, but was cut off by sounds of battle in the distance. 

The sounds caught them both off guard as they grew in intensity. 

"Oh no, my people!" Rydia yelled in concern, before running off in the direction of the fighting. 

'What does she think she is doing? She is going to get herself killed' 'Bandit' thought as he turned and ran after her.

******************************

*KLOT* *KLOT* 

*KLOT* *KLOT* 

*KLOT* *KLOT*, was the only sound that could be heard coming from anywhere. Even the forest creatures seemed to be hushed as three armored chocobos trotted southward towards their destination, the forest south of Baron. Cecil and Rosa trotted along slowly while Kain had taken point about 20 feet ahead. 

The roads had been way too quiet today. They had made it most of the way to the forest already, and there had been no sign of any creatures. It was as if all the creatures in Baron were in hiding. 

The forest was within 50 yards of their current position. The trees had started to thicken and their visible light was beginning to be reduced. As they grew closer to the thick of the forest, Kain fell back and waited for Cecil and Rosa. 

Kain, Cecil and Rosa continued forward, looking for a main road that would take them into the forest and to the other side, where they planned to wait for King Edgar. They found the road with little trouble and began walking through the forest. 

As they approached a sharp curve in the road, a troupe of 9 imps jumped onto the road from the bushes, and held their wooden spears up at the adventurers. They had expected them to give up without a fight, seeing as they had them outnumbered 3 to 1 (Man, these imps are dumb). 

Cecil, Rosa and Kain only looked at each other in disbelief. They knew they could easily dispatch of these imps without much problem, but decided to afford them the chance to leave. Could these imps really be that stupid? 

One of the bigger, and consequently bolder, imps approached Cecil and pressed the spear up towards him grunting something in its guttural tongue. Cecil could not understand a word of his speech, but understood from the way it was threatened him with it's spear that it was inevitably going to attack. 

Cecil swiftly drew Ragnorak from its sheath and sliced the spear in half, ultimately reducing it to toothpicks. The imp stumbled back from a combination of the force of the attack, and the shock of the power they possessed. 

Cecil dismounted his chocobo and gave the reigns to Rosa and then readied his shield. Rosa quickly fastened the reigns to her saddle and drew her bow and arrow. Kain, meanwhile, pulled out his spear and readied it for an attack. As the three readied themselves to attack, 11 more imps wandered onto the battlefield. 

"Hmm, 20 imps verses 3 human beings, that hardly seems fair," Rosa said half to herself. 

"You're right, maybe you should fight on their side Rosa," Kain said with a small smile on his face. 

"Nah," Rosa decided. 

There was a tranquil air around as the two sides faced one another in a contest of will. Cecil stood in the middle of the road, with Kain flanking left, and Rosa on the right. It was the calm before the storm, the quiet before a massive battle would break out. This massive battle, however, was sure to be a one sided affair. 

One of the smaller imps was nervous and accidentally stepped on a twig, sending the other 19 imps into battle frenzy. 

Rosa immediately shot her arrow and imbedded it in the chest of one of the imps and then another into the neck of the imp directly next to the first one. The two fell backward on top of two other imps. This caused the imps to create a roadblock and allow Rosa to ready another arrow. 

Kain lined up his spear level with the imps and kicked the chocobo forward. The chocobo flanked left and brought Kain directly outside the perimeter of the imps, just close enough to drive his spear through the imps on the outer fringe. When Kain came to a stop on the other side of the enemies, he had skewered three imps on his spear. Kain threw the spear to the side of the road, dismounted his chocobo and drew his sword, as 5 more imps appeared to surround him. Before they could get too much of an advantage, Kain saw an arrow protruding through the stomach of one imp, and another arrow just being fired at another. Now there were 3 imps surrounding him. 

Cecil was hard pressed as 6 imps charged him. Two were coming at him in the lead, while another four came in behind them. The two lead imps attempted to skewer Cecil, but he raised his shield to block. The two spears struck the crystal shield and immediately snapped in half, rendering them useless. Cecil then rammed the shield into both of their guts at once and followed up with an uppercut like strike with the shield rendering them unconscious. This threw the two imps flying, landing on top of three of the imps behind them. The last imp swung its small sword at Cecil, who raised his sword to intercept, causing the weak blade to snap in half. Cecil ended the poor creatures life with a single slash severing the imp's head from its shoulders. 

Meanwhile, the imp that had stepped on the twig was now standing there in total shock. He had been the one to set this whole bloodbath into action. The imp, seeing that 10 of his companions were killed within 10 seconds, and that none of his kind had scored even a single blow, lost his nerve to fight. He slipped off into the woods looking for a place to hide. There was no way he was going to fight one of those "monsters". 

Rosa had just fired her fourth arrow, imbedding it in the neck of one of the imps surrounding Kain, reducing his enemies to 3 imps. As she turned back to the pileup, she noticed that the three remaining imps had freed themselves and were making their way over to her. She quickly put her bow over her shoulder and drew her sword. It was a slender blade, but it was made out of one of the strongest metals in the world, Mythril. She had spent the last two and a half years learning how to wield the blade, and was now about to try it out on a more practical target. 

3 imps paced around Kain looking for an opportunity to attack. They circled clock ways about 90 degrees, then began circling back. Still they found no opening for an attack. They outnumbered him 3 to 1, but he had already proven that numbers mean nothing. Eventually Kain shifted his weight too much on purpose, giving the imps what they thought were a perfect opening. They all ran forward with their weapons for a strike. Two imps were holding spears, while the other had a short sword. As they drew close, Kain planted his feet and waited for the right moment. When the imps were a mere foot from him, Kain jumped high into the air and, with a back flip, landed facing the imps. The imps had crashed into each other and were now in a heap on the floor. The two spear wielders had imbedded their spear in the shoulder of each other, and the third imp's sword came down on the spears and brought the other imps down on top of him. 

Cecil was attacked once again by three of the imps that remained. They had gotten out from beneath their two fallen comrades, who had been bludgeoned to death by Cecil. They now came at the paladin with heightened fury. The largest of the three came directly at Cecil, while the two smaller ones flanked the larger one, resulting in a pincer like attack. Three swords came in on him at once, fortunately they were all from the front. The largest imp's blade came in higher than the other two blades, so Cecil set his shield low to neutralize the lower attacks, and sent his sword high, blocking the incoming high attack. 

Unfortunately Cecil missed the sword, however he did manage to sever the imp's hand off of its arm, sending the sword in hand flying. Not wasting any time, Cecil lunged his sword forward, and through the imp's chest. Knowing it would take a minute to retrieve his sword, Cecil let it fall back with the imp, and quickly drew his Excalibur. As he looked at the two remaining imps, he saw fear in their eyes. Cecil stepped forward quickly and finished them off. 

Rosa stood next to her chocobo and waited for the imps to approach. When they were within distance, Rosa attacked. She threw an attack at the lead imp, aiming for its right side. The imp got its sword up to block, but it did not hold up long against the Mythril blade. The imp had a large gash in its side, but was not down for good, yet. Rosa quickly punched the now weaponless imp in the face, and it fell back in pain. The other two imps quickly circled around their injured companion. They both swung at Rosa, but they were too slow. Rosa quickly side stepped them both and fluidly swung her blade in a crescent shape cutting the nearest imp. The imp's arm dropped to the ground. It turned to look at Rosa with hate in its eye, but stopped short when it realized that the slice had cut through more than its arm. The Mythril blade had cut through half of its body. The imp fell to the ground dead. 

Kain walked forward to the pile up that ensued after the imps failed to successfully charge him. He took his sword and deftly pressed it through the pileup, pressing it through the abdomen of each imp. Kain seemed almost disappointed. He pulled the blade out of the pile, and went to retrieve his spear from the side of the road. 

After finishing off his last imp, Cecil retrieved his Ragnorak from the dead imp, and cleaned off both of his swords before placing them back in their sheaths. Cecil turned to Rosa to see if she needed any help, but was relieved to see her finishing off the last of the imps. Cecil walked over to Rosa as she was cleaning off her blade (I have a thing for warriors cleaning blades, could you tell?) and smiled. Rosa smiled back, and after sheathing her blade ran to Cecil and enveloped him in a warm hug. 

"We should get going," Kain said, walking over to the royal couple with his spear in hand and his chocobo in tow. Cecil and Rosa both acknowledged Kain with a small nod and approached their chocobos. They were about to mount them, when they heard the bushes ruffle slightly down the road, and a large great imp walking onto the road, dragging a small imp behind him. Had they paid attention earlier, they would have noticed the imp was the one that ran off after stepping on the twig. 

The great imp, whom they supposed was the ringleader of the troupe, looked at the small imp in disgust. He pointed to the three adventurers and asked the small imp something in the common guttural language that the imps all spoke. The small imp nodded and tried to say something, but was cut off by the large great imp (who was no more than four feet tall by the way) the great imp threw the imp toward the adventurers and commanded the imp to do something. The imp looked very nervous as it approached the adventurers, with its weapons drawn. It was about 10 feet away when it turned around, going back toward the great imp, who shouted something that made the imp freeze in its tracks. 

The imp was about to head toward the group again, when an explosion was heard where the great imp was, followed by a flash of light. When the light faded, the great imp stood there asunder. The great imp then fell forward onto the ground, very dead. 


	3. Chapter 2 Of Alliances

**Final Fantasy: The Return of Goldbez**

**By JenovaDragoon**

  
  


**Chapter II (Of Alliances)**

Rydia ran down the mountain's foothills at breakneck speed. She was running towards the sounds of fighting and screaming. They had begun mere moments ago, but Rydia was deep in guilt. She had split from her main entourage of royal guards in order to find a brief moment of peace, and had thus selfishly put them in danger. Now she was en route to save those that had been given the task of defending her. 

There were many treacherous steps in these foothills, but she trudged on with ease with only one thing on her mind, the safety of those she called her subjects. Rydia could hear footsteps following close behind her, of whom she figured belonged to the "Treasure Hunter" trying to be the hero of the day, but she did not care to find out either way. She would find out soon enough when she reached her destination. 

Her heart was pounding as she turned the final rock formation that would bring her to the clearing where the battle ensued. The pounding in her chest was not due to exhaustion, as she was in excellent physical shape after all she had been through with Cecil and Edge. The pounding was her body preparing to battle, while she took in the horrible sights before her. She was getting angry, both at the creatures for their actions, and at herself for leaving them to their terrible fate. 

There were eight guards in all that had been assigned to defend Queen Rydia. They had formed a circle trying to fend off many young flamedogs that had surrounded them, but there were just too many and their numbers were slowly dwindling. Only three men still stood. They were bloody and bruised, and one could tell that they would not be walking away from this without assistance. Rydia took a deep breath and took a step forward, preparing to move in, when a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind. 

"I applaud your courage, but perhaps you should leave the heroics to the heroes, your highness," Stated 'Bandit' from behind her. 

Rydia looked over her shoulder and stared at 'Bandit' with contempt in her eyes. "And I suppose you think you qualify as a hero," She snarled, causing 'Bandit' to back off of her, and remove his hand from her shoulder. It was obvious she had no appreciation for his condescending attitude, especially since she was the Queen of this area. Rydia turned fully around to face 'Bandit' and continued her monologue. "I need no permission from the likes of you to take action on a situation that threatens my people," Rydia pointed out, before running off down the remaining ten yards of the hill, and landing on flat ground. 

There were now only two guards remaining, standing back-to-back for support and defense. You could see in their eyes that they had given up on surviving this ordeal. They fought on, but there was no heart in their movements. Two weary warriors surrounded by at least fifty young flame dogs. Though they were young, they were easily larger than a fully-grown dog that many people kept as pets. Adult flamedogs could grow to be as large as fully-grown mountain bears; they could look you square in the eyes while still standing on all four legs. 

Rydia ran up within 10 yards of the battle scene, and from even there, she could feel the intense heat generated from these creatures. They were not called flame dogs for nothing, as their entire body was covered in fire. If a flame dog were to die, the flames would die away, seeing that they were created by the flamedog as a natural defense mechanism. However, the flames had a drawback. If somehow the flames were ever extinguished, the beast would also die, as their blood would freeze up in their system without the heat produced, keeping their blood in liquid form. In essence, the fire that covered them was their life force. 

She just stood there for a moment, knowing that her mere scent would alert the flamedogs of her presence. As expected, there was the sound of several flamedogs sniffing at the air, and then turning around to notice her. One of them growled, and caught the attention of most of the others. Flamedogs were easy to bore, and always looking for fresh meat, which always seemed to be sweeter on females. The quicker the kill, the tenderer the flesh tended to be. Seeing what they instinctively knew was an easy kill, and better meat, the majority of the flamedogs decided to make her their evening meal. As they approached, Rydia took several steps back, drawing them away from the guards, who by now realized Rydia had come, and were somehow rejuvenated with hope. 

After several steps, Rydia began her low chanting, preparing a spell. Just then, 'Bandit' came from behind her and got into a defensive position. "Fear not, I will save you," 'Bandit' proclaimed as he prepared for battle. 

'Bandit', with his sword drawn, began to advance on the flame doge, when "ICE3" came from behind him. Bandit was surprised that this woman had known such a high level magic spell, but it did not matter now that magic had been destroyed. 

"Magic has been de..."Bandit began, turning his head to Rydia, and seeing her hands glowing a brilliant white. Instinctively, he ducked, just as a blizzard erupted from her hands in a conical spray, showering the flamedogs with it. The majority of the flamedogs were caught. The ice extinguished their flames, and burned their skin like acid. The flamedogs who had managed to avoid the attack dispersed in haste, now fearing for their lives. 

'Bandit' rose to his feet as the spell ended with a slack jaw, similar to his reaction when he first learned magic existed. 

"What's the matter, never seen magic before?" Rydia mocked before trailing off in thought. 'How could this thief have never witnessed magic, it is not uncommon?' Rydia walked past a still shocked 'Bandit' and toward her fallen guards. They had all eventually been killed by the flamedogs. Even the two that had been alive when she arrived had been killed, and there was nothing she could do to revive them. 

"That was m… m… m… m…" 'Bandit' attempted to speak, but the next word seemed to be caught in his throat. 

"Magic," Rydia finished for him. "So what? I use magic all the time." 

'Bandit' took a deep breath in order to compose himself before speaking "But magic ceased to exist after the destruction of the Three Goddess Statues." 

Rydia turned toward 'Bandit' slowly, and looked at him confusion. "What are you talking about? It is common knowledge that the Crystals are the source of all magic," she explained. 

'Bandit' was likewise confused. He looked down to his belt and opened a pouch on his right side. He then proceeded to pull out a crystalline object about three inches in height and one inch in diameter. The outer edges were colored red, while the inner area was a bluish green color. The whole object faintly shimmered. He held I up in his hand, and directed Rydia's attention to it. "This is a Magicite Shard. It is through this stone that an Esper can be summoned. The espers grant their magical abilities to their wielder, allowing them to cast magic spells," 'Bandit' explained, wondering how it was that Rydia could cast magic, but had no knowledge of Espers and Magicite. "However, once the Three Goddess Statues were destroyed two years ago, the magical properties derived from these shards have withered, and disappeared," He finally finished. 

Rydia looked at 'Bandit' in total disbelief. 'How could someone derive magic from one of these Esper things?' She wondered. She still didn't believe him, but there was something about the way he explained these Magicite Shards and Espers that made her wonder. He explained them without any stuttering or redirection, which were common signs of a lie. He also spoke of them with great zest, as if their existence was common knowledge. If 'Bandit' was indeed telling her the truth, then these events could help her to understand why her call monsters had stopped aiding her. After all, it was about two years ago that they stopped coming, around the same time that these "Three Goddess Statues" had supposedly been destroyed. This cannot be just a coincidence. 

"Interesting," Rydia finally spoke at length. "I would like to hear more about these statues and their origin, however I must return to Eblan, as the hour is growing late," she continued. "I also must see to it that the families of these warriors hear of their untimely demise." 

"Why don't you revive them with your magic?" 'Bandit' asked innocently, wondering why she just let them die. Surely if she could use the powerful ICE3 she knew a LIFE spell. 

"Unfortunately I am only proficient in the Black Magic Arts," Rydia explained receiving a look of total confusion, one she had sported a moment ago. "Not everyone can cast both Black and White spells. It takes a lot of training if each field separately," she explained. 

'Training? What does she mean by that,' 'Bandit' wondered. 'The espers imbue their magical abilities onto their wielder as they gain experience with the shard, there is no training involved' 

"The amount of training required to master both types of magic is quite extensive, and takes many years," Rydia concluded. 

"It would appear that your derivation of magic is different than ours," 'Bandit' observed. "Could it be that there are two unique magical essences on Earth?" 

"It would seem so," Rydia conceded. "Perhaps it is time to seek out a higher source of knowledge regarding this," Rydia suggested. "Return with me to Eblan and in the morning we shall go to Mysidia and discuss this with the elder there." 

"As you wish your highness. I shall protect you from the dangers of the wild as you return to your castle," 'Bandit' proclaimed, once again reverting to his caviler mentality. 

"Oh brother," was Rydia's only remark as she began to walk off in the direction of Eblan, with 'Bandit' close behind. 

**------------------------------------------------**

Cecil, Kain and Rosa looked up in surprise, as the light engulfing the Great Imp faded. The coward imp also looked in fear. What they all saw was the charred remains of a great imp falling to the ground in death's grip. The imp that stood there, seeing his Chieftain slain, began to run off. He never really wished to fight anyway. The imp got as far as the edge of the road, when a volley of arrows came through the smoke at a great speed using the imp as a pincushion. 

Kain readied his lance, preparing himself to fend off any attack. "In the name of the King of Baron, identify yourselves. We are en-route to meet a visiting king, and must make haste." 

As the smoke finally cleared around the Great imp, Cecil, Kain and Rosa could see three people standing beyond. Standing across the road were three men who appeared no less battle hardened then they were. The one in the center stepped up to introduce himself. He wore a green suit of light armor with purple borders, his cape blowing in the wind. The cape was green on the inside, and purple out. He wore white boots that seemed to stick out because of the contrast in color. He had long blond hair kept neat in a ponytail that ran down to the small of his back. 

He wore a sword on the left hand side of his belt, and carried various mechanical trinkets and tools. He currently held a crossbow in his hand that appeared to have been altered. Arrows hung from the crossbow in series parallel to one another. It seemed as if the crossbow was designed to automatically load another arrow as soon as the previous one was fired. 

"Then it appears that you have arrived at your meeting…" The man explained with a smile. "…for I am Edgar Roni Figaro, King of Figaro." He said, introducing himself with a slight bow. 

A tall man with an incredible muscular build stood to the left of him. It has not excessively bulky, but extremely toned. He wore a purple tank top and white pants fastened with a green sash. He had his arms crossed across his chest with both hands on top of his arms. There was a purple wristband and claw weapons on each hand. One could only expect that he practiced martial arts extensively. He too had blond hair that he kept in a ponytail, but it stopped a few inches below his neckline. The top of his hair was cut short and spiked. 

"This is my brother Sabin Rene Figaro..." Edgar said motioning with his hand toward the tall muscular man, who simply smiled and nodded his head. 

To the Right of Edgar, the third man stood in contrast to the other two. He wore a black coat with purple bordering that went down his ankles, where you could barely see a pair of purple shoes. The coat was closed, so nothing else was visible to any onlookers. He had long silver hair like Cecil, but longer. It went halfway down his back. He appeared to carry no weapon, though the deck of cards he carried in his hands seemed somewhat out of place. 

"…and this is Setzer Gabbiani." He finished, allowing Setzer time to give a slight bow of respect to Cecil before he continued shuffling his cards. 

Kane relaxed his spear as Cecil stepped forward. "I am Cecil, King of Baron." He began. "This is my wife, and Queen, Rosa, and this is my trusted friend and top military advisor, Kain Highwind" he said motioning to Rosa and Kain in turn. 

"Ah, and a lovely queen she is," remarked Edgar, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. 

"So, what brings the King of Figaro, the greatest country in the western hemisphere, all the way around the world to Baron?" Cecil questioned. 

"Ah, right to business I see, well, that would best be discussed at the castle. You never know who may be hiding in the bushes." Edgar said with a smile. 

"Why not discuss it here brother?" Sabin questioned with a smirk on his face. "You know it would be my pleasure to beat the crap out of anyone listening in," he finished, hoping to get into a fight. 

"Didn't killing that Great Imp sate your appetite for destruction?" Edgar asked in frustration. A man who looked for a fight at all times was not the best person to bring as a bodyguard. They tended to create more fights than they prevented. 

Cecil, Rosa and Kain looked at Sabin somewhat in awe. "That flash of light was you?" Cecil questioned. 

"That was an Aura Bolt. If you ask me it's too powerful of an attack to waste on a weakling imp." Sabin confirmed. 

"Anyway," Edgar interrupted turning his attention back to Cecil, "What prompts the King of Baron to leave his castle and greet his quests?" Edgar asked, leaving Cecil dumbfounded. He had not planned a response to that question. 

"Cecil claimed it was some royal courtesy," Kain explained, with a smirk, after Cecil failed to produce and answer. "He said it was common for large figureheads to meet for the first time on neutral ground." 

"Funny, I never heard of that one before…" Edgar commented, putting his hand to his chin. "…and I've been a king for some time now." 

"Well…it's an eastern tradition." Cecil said in an attempt to cover his tracks. 

Rosa started laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. "Come off of it, dear, we knew the whole time that you made that story up to get out of the castle." 

Cecil felt his shoulders drop. 'I am the King. I should not have to explain myself to anyone. So why is it that I seem to do that more often than anything else?' he wondered. 

Cecil, feeling a little embarrassed, allowed a sigh to escape his throat. "In any case, this is indeed the perfect setting for our first meeting. Let the blooming forest we not stand in represent the growth that the planet will undergo thanks to all of our efforts." 

"Indeed. This forest has survived the calamity wrought two years prior. It, like the human race, not only survived but is also flourishing. With the two of us working together, there is no doubt in my mind that the human race will thrive and prosper, even in this post-apocalyptic planet we now live on." Edgar replied, liking the analogy Cecil had used. 

Cecil let out another small sigh, this time it was one of relief. He was truly relieved that Edgar was here on a peaceful, diplomatic meeting and not to declare war on Baron. The talk of the townsfolk had unnerved him greatly. 

"Let us return to the castle," Cecil decided. "The hour is getting late. I can have arrangements made for you to stay in the castle for the night." He offered. 

"Yes it is getting late, and we have much to discuss," Edgar conceded. "Join me in the carriage will you?" Edgar invited Cecil and Rosa, motioning toward the carriage. "Sabin and Setzer can ride your chocobos back to Baron." 

Cecil smiled and led Rosa to the carriage. After getting in, Kain, Sabin and Setzer boarded the chocobos and they all took off toward Baron Castle. 

Once inside the Carriage, Cecil wasted no time getting to business. "So why have you come to Baron? Surely you are not in any need of military assistance." 

Edgar smiled, "Perhaps tomorrow would be a better time. It is getting late, and I grow weary." 

Cecil sat back in his seat defeated. Apparently he would have to wait until the morning. How Cecil hated waiting.


End file.
